Roy Keane leaves Ipswich Town

It's finally happened. After lots of speculation and not enough positive results, Ipswich Town have shown their embattled manager Roy Keane the door.

After enough speculation to fill several newspapers, the Cork man has left the Championship club. An official announcement to this effect will be made on Friday morning.

He was dismissed by owner Marcus Evans as Ipswich sit 19th in the Championship, just three points above the relegation zone. They are currently on a dismal run of seven defeats in nine games.

Since Keano arrived in the Suffolk town, Ipswich have managed just 28 wins from 81 games.

After 20 months, Keane has clearly failed to deliver on a promise to secure promotion into the Premier League for the club, something he did previously at Sunderland.

Successors are already being lined up, with obvious names in the frame including recently sacked Newcastle boss Chris Hughton, Paul Jewell and Alan Curbishley. As of Friday morning, Paul Jewell looks the most likely to take over.

His departure comes less than a month after Keane's unscheduled absence from the club following a defeat at Preston.

Back then, the Tractor Boys' manager failed to turn up at the club training ground and missed a crisis meeting held by the squad.

It gave a strong indication that the pressure was taking its toll on the Man Utd and Republic of Ireland legend. Well, he need face that pressure no more.

After Saturday’s 1-0 home defeat by Nottingham Forest he said: 'I’m doing my best and if my best isn’t good enough, then I’ll take the consequences."

The decision by multi-millionaire Evans to jettison Keane comes three days before the club face Chelsea in the FA Cup third.